Self-adjusting door latch



Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,624

- B. A. WOINA SELF ADJUSTING DOOR LATCH Fiied June 21, 1920 i. L uvam/toz j Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

*UlTED STATES PTENT 'FFICE.

BENJAMTN A. WOINA, OF SOUTH RIVER, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARVID L, JOHNSO1\T, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SELF-'ADJUSTING noon LATCH.

Application filed June 21.1520. Serial No. 390,338.

door-latch and has for its object a latch having a bolt withan inclined face which coacts with an inclined face in'a striker. A spring isprovided to force the inclined face of the bolt against the inclined face of thestriker and thereby the door is drawn in and all lost motion is taken up to prevent the door jarring.

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary portion of the body of a. vehicle' with the self adjusting 20. latch connected to the door thereof; Fig. 2

shows an enlarged fragmentary portion of -Fig. 1 with a. section as on the line 2 2 of Fig 3; Fig. 3 is 'a'parti-al sect-ion as on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 represents an eleva- 2 tion of the door latch on a. reduced scale;'

Fig. 5 shows a view similar toFig. 2 with a modification; Fig. 6'is a section of Fig. 5 on the line 6, 6; Figure 7 shows an elevation on a reduced scale of the modified door latch. 0 Fig. 8 shows a top plan view of a modification of some details and Fig. 9 shows a top .plan' view of another modification of the details.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the bodyof 35 the Vehicle has hinged thereto the door 21 in the usual manner and to the latter is connected the door latch indicated in its entirety' by the numeral 22.

The latch comprises a housing consisting 1 of the face plate 25 to. which -isconnected the cover 26. The face plate 25 is fastened to the door 21 by means of screws, 27. The cover 26 comprises the main wall 30 with I the guide pocket 31, thetop wall or 'roof 32 with the opening 33. the bottomwall '34 and the'side wall 35. The bolt 38 of the latch is shown with the nose 39 having the inclined face 40 and the heel 41. A T molding 42 is fastened to the swinging end of the 50 door 21. To the main wall 30 is pivoted the inside door handle 43 on the pivot 44. The said handle bears against the heel 41. A handle spring 45 has one end supported on a pin 46 extending from the bolt 38 and bears against the door handle 43. A bolt spring 47 has one end supported on the pin 48 that extends from the face 50 of the door has formed therewith the curved portion 5O and has attached thereto the striker 51 by means of the screws 52. The striker 51 is shown with the nose 53 and the inclined bearing faces 54 and 55. The distance between the faces 54 and 55 is greater than the horizontal thickness of the nose'39 of the bolt 38. A clearance space 56 is maintained between the nose 39 and the curved portion 50 of the pillar 50.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the latch comprises a housing consisting of the face plate 60. to which. is connectedthe cover 61. The face plate 60 is fastened to the door 62 by means of screws 64. The cover 61 comprises the main wall 65 with the guide pocket '66-, the top wall 67 with the opening 68, the bottom wall 69 with the opening 70 and the side wall 71. The bolt 72 of the latch is shown with the nose 73 having the inclined face 74, he heel 75 and the projecting lug 76. An outside door handle is fastened to the shank 81 which in'turn has fastened thereto the cam 82. The latter has extending therefrom the lug 83. A s'pring84 has one end fastened to the pin 85 extending from the door 62 and its other end is fastened to the lug 83. A T moulding 88 is fastened to the swinging end of the door 62. To the door 62 is pivoted the inside door handle 90 on the pin 91. A handle spring 92 is pivoted on a pin 93 extending from the bolt 72. The said spring 92 bears against the door handle 90. A bolt spring 95 has one end fastened to a pin 96 extending from the door 62. The lock pillar 99 of the door 62 has formed therewith the curved portion 99*, and has fastened thereto the striker 100 by means of the screws 101.

.The striker is shown with. the nose 103 and the-inclined bearing faces 104 and 105. The

distance between said bearing faces isgreater than the horizontal. thickness through the nose 73. A clearance space 108 is maintained between the nose 73 and the curved portion 99. of the lock pillar 99. 0

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 the door is opened by thehandle 43 in the usual way the spring 45 preventing the handle 43 from jarring. The bolt spring 47 bears against the heel 41 and forces the inclined face of the nose 53 of the striker 51 and draws the swinging end of the door 21 toward the inside of the vehicle and by this means the door is maintained tightly locked in place. If desired the door 21 may be locked in an open position by locking the face 10 of the nose 39 with the face 55 of the striker 51.

In Fig. 8 a striker 110 is indicated with the round nose 111 and the bolt 38 of the latch is indicated with the nose 89 having the inclined face 10 and the heel 41 is already described. In Fig. 9 a striker 115 is indicated with the nose 116 and the inclined face 117 A bolt 120 for the latch has formed therewith the nose 121 and the heel 122. The top face of the nose maybe straight as shown at 123 or curved as shown at 124 in the dotted lines v llhe operation of the modifications are similar to those already described with the additioh that in the modification shown in Figs. 5 to? the door can be opened with either the handles 80 or 90.

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

1. In a latch for a door the combination of a bolt having a nose with an inclined bearing face, a lock pillow for the door, a striker fastened to the lock pillar with a clearance space for said nose, said striker having an inclined bearing face in the path of and adapted to coact with the inclinedbearing face of the nose, said faces bearing against each other when the bolt is moved to its closed position, means to move the bolt to a locked or unlocked position and tension means to maintain the inclined hearing face of the nose against the inclinedbearing face of the striker when the bolt is moved to lock it with the striker, said means r leases tending to slide the nose of the bolt on the striker and thereby swing the door to its closed position, said clearance space between the nose of the bolt and the lock pillar enabling the door to swing and take up the lost motion of its parts.

2. in a latch for a door the combination of a bolt having a nose with an inclined bearing face, a lock pillar for the door, a striker having a pair of inclined bearing faces each adapted to coact with the inclined bearing face of the nose of the bolt and tension means to force the inclined bearing face of the nose against either of the inclined bearing faces, of the striker.

3. In a latch the combination of a bolt slidably supported thereon, tension means supported on the bolt, a door handle for the latch contacting on one side thereof with said element and on its other side bearing against a portion of said bolt to prevent the handle rattling, a striker coacting with the bolt and resilient means bearing against said bolt to maintain it in contact with the striker when in its closed position.

1. In a latch the combination of a bolt slidably supported therein and having a heel at one end thereof, a spring supported on the bolt, a door handle for the latch contacting on one side thereof with said spring and contacting-with said heel on its otherside to prevent the handle rattling, a striker coacting with the bolt and a spring bearing against said heel to maintain the bolt in contact with the striker when in its closed position.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 12th day of June, A; D. 1920.

BENJAMIN A. WOINA. 

